Electrical device for making beverages using power tool battery

ABSTRACT

An electrical device includes a battery-mount part ( 40 ) configured such that a battery used as a power supply of a power tool is mountable thereon, and a heat-generating element ( 54 ) for boiling water using electric power from the battery (B 1 , B 2 ) mounted on the battery-mount part. The electrical device further includes a drip case ( 21 ) for holding a pod, in which a predetermined amount of tea leaves or coffee grounds is encased in a permeable bag-shaped element. A hot water supply ( 50   y ) supplies the water boiled by the heat-generating element ( 54 ) automatically to the drip case ( 21 ). An extraction part ( 21   p ) in the drip case ( 21 ) allows a beverage produced by the hot water that has been poured onto (injected into) the pod to downwardly flow.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/997,848 filed on Jun. 5, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,925,428,which claims priority to Japanese patent application serial number2017-139946 filed on Jul. 19, 2017 and to Japanese patent applicationserial number 2017-228767 filed on Nov. 29, 2017, the contents of bothof which are incorporated fully herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to an electrical device, such asa hot beverage making device, comprising a battery-mount part configuredsuch that a battery used in a power supply of a power tool is mountablethereon, and a heat-generating means, which can boil water by usingelectric power (current) supplied by the battery mounted on thebattery-mount part.

BACKGROUND ART

A coffeemaker 100 described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,559,539 (JP Patent No.5657332 B2) is shown herein in FIG. 26 . This coffee maker 100 includesa first battery-mount part 103 a and a second battery-mount part 103 blocated inside a battery-storage compartment 102. Furthermore, an 18-Vbattery B1, which is designed for use as a power supply of a power tool,is mountable on the first battery-mount part 103 a, and, likewise, a14.4 V power tool battery B2 is (simultaneously) mountable on the secondbattery-mount part 103 b. In this coffeemaker 100, it is possible, forexample, to supply electric power to a heat-generating means (heatingelement) of the coffeemaker 100 using the 18-V battery B1 or the 14.4 Vbattery B2. Moreover, such a coffeemaker 100 makes it possible to brewcoffee, e.g., at a construction work site (or any other location where acommercial AC power supply is not available) using the batteries B1, B2of a power tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-described known coffeemaker 100 is configured such that afilter is housed inside a filter case 105, hot water is discharged intothe filter case 105 after a proper quantity of coffee grounds has beenplaced in the filter case 105, and then coffee is dripped down into adecanter 106. Consequently, at a work site, it is necessary to scoopcoffee grounds, using a measuring spoon or the like (which must also bebrought to the work site), from a bag of coffee grounds and put thescooped coffee grounds in the filter, thereby making it inconvenient tobrew coffee at the work site. In addition, the above-described knowncoffeemaker 100 is capable of simultaneously mounting two differentbatteries B1, B2, which necessitates complicated electronics to preventelectrical problems.

It is one, non-limiting object of the present teachings to, e.g., makeit easy to brew a hot beverage at a construction work site by operatingan electrical device using a battery of a power tool.

In a first aspect of the present teachings, an electrical device (e.g.,a hot beverage maker) comprises a battery-mount part, which isconfigured such that a battery (battery pack, battery cartridge)designed for use as a power supply of a power tool is mountable thereon,and a heat-generating means (heating element), which can boil water byusing electric power supplied by the battery mounted on thebattery-mount part. The electrical device further comprises: a caseconfigured to hold a pod or other type of single-serve container, whichcontains a predetermined amount of, e.g., tea leaves or coffee groundswithin a water-permeable bag-shaped element or a capsule, as well as ahot water supply configured such that water boiled by theheat-generating means can be supplied automatically to the case. Anextraction part (e.g., a drain hole, which may optionally comprise aspring-loaded stopper) is provided on the case and permits the hotbeverage produced by the hot water that had been poured onto (injectedinto) the pod or other single-serve container to flow out of the case,e.g., into a decanter (carafe, coffee pot).

According to this first aspect of the present teachings, the electricaldevice can be operated, e.g., at a construction work site or otherlocation where an AC power source is not available, using a battery(battery pack, battery cartridge) designed for use with a power tool,such as a driver drill, circular saw, etc. Furthermore, because a pod orother single-serve container (e.g., a pre-packaged coffee or teacontainer) can be used, it becomes unnecessary to, for example, use ameasuring spoon or the like to take coffee grounds out of a coffeegrounds bag and place them in a filter, such that a hot beverage can beeasily and conveniently made, e.g., at a construction work site.

According to a second aspect of the present teachings, the electricaldevice further comprises: a water reservoir that holds water, and apassageway configured such that the water can be supplied from the waterreservoir to the location of the heat-generating means. Preferably, theheat-generating means is disposed at a location lower than the waterreservoir. Thus, if the heat-generating means is disposed at a locationlower than the water reservoir, a water-supplying means, such as a pump,is unnecessary for supplying water from the water reservoir to theheat-generating means.

According to a third aspect of the present teachings, the battery-mountpart is provided at a location lower than that of the water reservoir.In such an embodiment, when water is being boiled, the battery, which isheavy, is disposed at a low location, which gives the electrical devicea low center of gravity and thereby improves the stability of theelectrical device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present teachings, a wall preferablypartitions a space, in which a container (e.g., a tank) comprising thewater reservoir is housed, from a space in which the heat-generatingmeans is housed. In such an embodiment, water can be prevented fromentering the space in which electrical components such as theheat-generating means are housed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present teachings, a wall preferablypartitions a space, in which a hot water supply nozzle of the hot watersupply that supplies the hot water to the case is housed, from the spacein which the heat-generating means is housed. In such an embodiment aswell, hot water can be prevented from entering the space in which theheat-generating means is housed.

A sixth aspect of the present teachings concerns the fact that, in theabove-described known coffeemaker 100 shown in FIG. 26 , it is possibleto simultaneously mount an 18-V battery B1 and a 14.4-V battery B2 on afirst battery-mount part 103 a and a second battery-mount part 103 b ofa battery-storage part 102. Consequently, the electrical circuit of thecoffeemaker 100 requires a voltage-switching circuit. In addition, aninterlock circuit or the like is necessary to ensure that the voltage ofthe 18-V electrical circuit is not applied to the 14.4-V electricalcircuit. Consequently, the circuit configuration of the coffeemaker 100is relatively complex. In addition, there is also a possibility thatproblems will occur in the interlock circuit or the like over the courseof time.

Therefore, according to the sixth aspect of the present teachings, it ispreferable to simplify the circuit configuration by making avoltage-selecting circuit, an electrical interlock, etc. unnecessary,and to improve electrical reliability. In an embodiment of the sixthaspect, the electrical device comprises: a plurality of thebattery-mount parts that are preferably configured such that, when onebattery is mounted on one of the battery-mount parts, it is not possible(e.g., it is impossible) to mount another battery on the otherbattery-mount part. In such an embodiment, even though a plurality ofbattery-mount parts is provided, only one battery can be mounted on thebattery-mount parts at a time. That is, a plurality of batteries isnever mounted on the battery-mount parts simultaneously. Consequently, abattery-switching circuit, an interlock circuit, etc. becomeunnecessary, the circuit configuration is simplified, and electricalreliability is improved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present teachings, the sizes of thebattery-mount parts of the plurality of battery-mount parts differ, anda configuration is employed such that the batteries (battery packs,battery cartridges) having sizes corresponding to the battery-mountparts are mountable on the corresponding battery-mount parts.

According to an eighth aspect of the present teachings, a pair of guiderails and a plurality of terminals are provided on each of thebattery-mount parts. Furthermore, each of the plurality of battery-mountparts differs from each other in the arrangement of the guide railsand/or in the arrangement of the plurality of terminals. Therefore, theelectrical device is configured such that different types of batteries,which are respectively capable of engaging with and sliding with respectto the pair of guide rails and are capable of electrically connecting tothe terminals of each of the different battery-mount parts, aremountable on the respective (different) battery-mount parts.

According to a ninth aspect of the present teachings, a cover member isdesigned such that it exposes one of the battery-mount parts and coversthe other battery-mount part. Furthermore, the cover member is slidablerelative to the plurality of battery-mount parts. Consequently, when oneof the batteries is mounted on the sole exposed battery-mount part, theother battery-mount part is covered by the cover member. That is, whenone of the batteries is mounted on one of the battery-mount parts,because the positive and negative terminals (charging part) of the otherbattery-mount part are not exposed (i.e. the terminals are covered bythe cover member), a short-circuit fault can be prevented.

According to a tenth aspect of the present teachings, the plurality ofbattery-mount parts is provided in a side-by-side arrangement, and thecover member is configured such that it is capable of sliding in theside-by-side direction of the plurality of battery-mount parts.Therefore, by sliding the cover member, one of the battery-mount partsis exposed and the other battery-mount part is covered.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present teachings, the electricaldevice is configured such that, when one battery is mounted on one ofthe battery-mount parts, if another battery is moved in the mountingdirection with respect to the other battery-mount part, then the otherbattery makes contact with the battery mounted on the one battery-mountpart, thereby blocking the movement of the other battery. That is, theplurality of battery-mount parts are disposed or arranged closelytogether, so that there is insufficient space to simultaneously mounttwo or more batteries on the battery-mount parts. Consequently, even inthe hypothetical situation in which the cover member has been removed,it is still impossible to simultaneously mount two or more of thebatteries on the plurality of the battery-mount parts.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present teachings, the plurality ofbattery-mount parts is provided on one (i.e. the same) side surface of ahousing, and a lid configured to cover or close an opening of the waterreservoir is provided on an upper surface of the housing. The lid ispreferably located on an upper side of the one side surface of thehousing on which the battery-mount parts are provided, and is configuredto stand up like a wall along an end edge of the upper surface of thehousing when the lid is positioned (raised) to open the opening of thewater reservoir. In such an embodiment, when water is being supplied(poured) into the water reservoir within the housing, the lid, whichstands up like a wall, blocks water from splashing onto thebattery-mount parts.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present teachings, the lid iscoupled by a hinge mechanism to the housing such that the lid can pivotabout the end edge of the upper surface of the housing.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present teachings, theelectrical device preferably comprises a cover-operation switch, whichoperates in conjunction with movement of the cover member. Preferably,the cover-operation switch is configured to disconnect a power-supplyline between a power-supply terminal of the battery-mount part coveredby the cover member and the heat-generating means, and to connect apower-supply line between a power-supply terminal of the exposed onebattery-mount part and the heat-generating means. Consequently, forexample, when a battery is mounted on the sole exposed battery-mountpart, no voltage is applied to the positive and negative terminals(charging part) of the battery-mount part covered by the cover member.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present teachings, thecover-operation switch is configured such that, if the cover member isremoved from the battery-mount parts, the power-supply line between thepower-supply terminals of all the battery-mount parts and theheat-generating means is disconnected. Consequently, the electricaldevice can no longer be used after the cover member has been removed,thereby improving device safety.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present teachings, the electricaldevice preferably comprises: a water reservoir (e.g., a tank) that holdswater; and a passageway configured to supply the water from the waterreservoir to the location of the heat-generating means. Preferably, thebattery-mount part(s) is (are) provided at a location higher than thewater reservoir. In such an embodiment, when water is being supplied(poured) into the water reservoir, the likelihood that some of the waterwill splash onto the mounted battery is reduced.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present teachings, theelectrical device according to any one of preceding aspects, or any ofthe subsequently-described embodiments, further includes one or morebatteries that are mountable on the battery-mount part(s) of theelectrical device.

It is noted that not all elements are required to be utilized in allembodiments, and e.g., some aspects may be omitted to develop additionalembodiments of the present teachings. For example, in aspects of thepresent teachings relating to the electrical circuits, arrangement ofthe battery-mount parts, the lid, the other components of the electricaldevice, etc., it is not necessary to use a pod or other single-servingcontainer containing, e.g., coffee or tea. That is, in such embodiments,loose coffee grounds or loose tea leaves may be placed in a filterprovided in the case.

Additional aspects, objects, embodiments and advantages of the presentteachings will become apparent to a person of ordinary skill uponreading the following description of presently preferred embodiments andthe appended claims in view of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view (a battery B1 mounting diagram), viewed fromthe front left, of a coffeemaker, which is an electrical deviceaccording to a first embodiment of the present teachings.

FIG. 2 is a front view (an auxiliary view taken in the direction ofarrow II in FIG. 1 ) of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 3 is an oblique view (a view in which the battery B1 has beenremoved), viewed from the front right, of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 4 is a front view that shows a support structure of the coffeedecanter (a modified example).

FIG. 5 is an oblique view of a drip case (for use with coffee pods) ofthe coffeemaker.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drip case (for usewith coffee pods).

FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the drip case (for use with a filter).

FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the drip case (for use with a filter).

FIG. 9 is an oblique view (a battery B2 mounting diagram), viewed fromthe front right, of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 10 is an oblique view (a view in which the battery B2 has beenremoved), viewed from the front right, of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing of a water-heating element of thecoffeemaker.

FIG. 12 is a plan cross-sectional view (an auxiliary cross-sectionalview taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11 ) of the water-heating element.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (1) that shows thewater-heating element, etc., of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 14 is an auxiliary cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV inFIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (2) that shows thewater-heating element, etc., of the coffeemaker.

FIG. 16 is an electrical-circuit diagram of the coffeemaker (when thebattery B1 is mounted).

FIG. 17 is an electrical-circuit diagram of the coffeemaker (when thebattery B2 is mounted).

FIG. 18 is an electrical-circuit diagram of the coffeemaker according toa first modified example.

FIG. 19 is an electrical circuit of the coffeemaker according to asecond modified example.

FIG. 20 is a schematic side view of the coffeemaker according to a thirdmodified example.

FIG. 21 is a schematic side view of the coffeemaker according to afourth modified example.

FIG. 22 is an oblique view of the drip case of the coffeemaker accordingto a fifth modified example.

FIG. 23 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drip case of FIG.6 .

FIG. 24 is an oblique view of the drip case.

FIG. 25 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drip case.

FIG. 26 is an overall oblique view of a known coffeemaker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

An electrical device according to representative, non-limitingembodiments of the present teachings will be explained below withreference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 25 . As shown in FIG. 1 , etc., therepresentative electrical device according to the first embodiment ofthe present teachings is a coffeemaker 10 in which a battery of a powertool is used as a power supply. Here, front, rear, left, right, up, anddown shown in the drawings correspond to front, rear, left, right, up,and down of the coffeemaker 10. As will be apparent, the coffeemaker 10is also capable of making other brewed (hot) beverages, such as tea, hotchocolate, etc.

Overview of Configuration of Coffeemaker 10

As shown in FIG. 1 , etc., the coffeemaker 10 comprises: acoffeemaker-main-body 20 that brews the hot beverage (e.g., dripscoffee); a decanter (carafe, coffeepot) 35 that collects the dripped hotbeverage (e.g., coffee); a plate 30 on which the decanter 35 is placed;and a battery-mount part 40 on which two batteries B1, B2 arealternately mountable. The coffeemaker-main-body 20 comprises asubstantially box-shaped housing 22 that is elongated in the front-reardirection and is formed such that an upper part and a lower part of thehousing 22 project forward from a center part of the housing 22. Arecessed portion 22 r is provided, e.g., for adhering a label.Furthermore, a drip-case-holder 22 f, which houses a drip case 21, isprovided at the location of a forward-projection part of the upper partof the housing 22. A housing space for the decanter 35 is provideddownward of the drip-case-holder 22 f. Furthermore, the plate 30, whichis the forward-projection part of the lower part of the housing 22, isprovided on a lower side of the housing space for the decanter 35.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the decanter 35 is placed onthe plate 30 such that it is fitted into a bottom of a center recessedpart 32 formed on an upper surface of the plate 30. As shown in FIG. 4 ,retaining rails 33, which extend in the front-rear direction, areprovided on the left and right sides of the plate 30, and theseretaining rails 33 can confine flanges 35 f, which are formed on (extendfrom) the bottom of the decanter 35, in the left-right direction and theup-down direction. Therefore, the decanter 35 can be placed on the plate30 by being slid from the front to the rear such that the flanges 35 fof the decanter 35 are confined by an upper surface 30 u of the plate 30and the left and right retaining rails 33. As a result, it is lesslikely that the decanter 35 will fall off the plate 30 while thecoffeemaker 10 is being transported.

The drip case 21 is configured such that it can be inserted, from thefront, into the drip-case-holder 22 f of the housing 22. The drip case21 is also known in the art as a brewing funnel, brewing basket, podholder, capsule holder, drip tray, etc. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , thedrip case 21 comprises: a case-main-body 21 m; a handle 21 h, whichprojects forward from a front-surface upper part of the case-main-body21 m; and a holder 21 d, which is substantially L-shaped in a side viewand supports the case-main-body 21 m from below. Furthermore, anextraction part 21 p, which permits the brewed coffee, tea, etc. to flowdownwardly into the decanter 35, is provided at the center of the bottomof the case-main-body 21 m. The extraction part 21 p may be merely adrain hole, or may be a drain hole having a spring-loaded stopper thatis configured to open the drain hole only when the decanter 35 is placedunderneath the drip case 21. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the dripcase 21 is configured such that a coffee pod CP, e.g., a bag-shapedfilter prefilled with an appropriate quantity of coffee grounds, e.g.,for a single serving or for multiple servings, can be set in thecase-main-body 21 m. That is, the coffee pod CP corresponds to a pod, asingle-serving container or a pre-filled coffee or tea pack that iscapable of preparing one, two or more servings and also is formed as afilter material that encases a predetermined amount of coffee grounds,tea leaves, etc., of the present teachings. The case-main-body 21 mcorresponds to a case (brewing funnel, brewing basket, pod holder,capsule holder, drip tray, etc.) of the present teachings. It is notedthat the filter is typically formed of a nonwoven fabric, paper, or thelike, but the filter can also be formed of other materials.

Instead of configuring the drip case 21 exclusively for use with acoffee pod CP, it is also possible to configure the drip case 21 for usewith a mesh filter F, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 . In thisconfiguration of the drip case 21, the user can place an appropriatequantity of loose coffee grounds, loose tea leaves, etc. in the meshfilter F. The drip case 21 of this embodiment may further comprise a lid21 f having numerous holes 21 z, through which hot water can pass,formed therein.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 13 , a water reservoir (reservoir tank) 22 w,which holds water at a location on a rear side of the drip-case-holder22 f, is provided in the upper part of the housing 22 at substantiallythe same height position as that of the drip case 21. The waterreservoir 22 w has an opening in the upper surface of the housing 22 andis configured such that the opening can be opened and closed by a lid23, which has an oblong shape. The upper surface of the housing 22 isformed into an oblong shape, and a lid-storage recessed part 22 y (referto FIG. 1 ), which likewise has an oblong shape, is formed on an innerside of the edge of that upper surface. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the lid 23 closes the opening of the water reservoir 22 w, thelid 23 is housed in the lid-storage recessed part 22 y, and thus theupper surface of the lid 23 is flush with the upper surface of thehousing 22. As shown in FIG. 1 , a right-side part of the lid 23 iscoupled to the right side (edge) of the lid-storage recessed part 22 yof the housing 22 by one or more hinge mechanisms 24. Therefore, bypivoting (counterclockwise pivoting in FIG. 2 ) the lid 23 upward aboutthe hinge mechanism(s) 24, the upper opening of the water reservoir 22 wis exposed (opened) so that water can be poured in. Further, as shown inFIG. 2 , when the lid 23 has been pivoted to its counterclockwise-pivotlimit position, the lid 23 is held in the state of being slightly tiltedin the rightward direction and stands up like a wall.

As shown in FIG. 1 , etc., the housing 22 comprises a gate-type handle25, which is coupled to the housing 22 such that left and right legs ofthe gate-type handle 25 can pivot up and down about a center part in thefront-rear direction of the upper part of the housing 22. That is, byraising the gate-type handle 25, the coffeemaker 10 can be transportedwhile holding the gate-type handle 25. In addition, by lowering thegate-type handle 25 rearward down to the horizontal position, thegate-type handle 25 can be stored around the lid-storage recessed part22 y of the housing 22, as shown in FIG. 1 , etc. Furthermore, thebattery-mount part 40 (described below), which is configured such thatmultiple types (2 types in the drawings) of power-tool batteries can bemounted, are provided in a vertical orientation on the right-sidesurface of the housing 22. In addition, a water-heating element 50(described below), which heats/boils water supplied from the waterreservoir 22 w and guides the hot water to the location of the drip case21, and an electrical circuit 60 (described below), which supplieselectric power from the batteries B1, B2 of the battery-mount part 40 toa heater 54, etc., of the water-heating element 50, are housed insidethe housing 22.

Battery-Mount Part 40

The battery-mount part 40 optionally comprises a first battery-mountpart 41 and a second battery-mount part 42, which are providedside-by-side in the front-rear direction. A front-rear slide-type covermember 45 is slidable to cover either the first battery-mount part 41 orthe second battery-mount part 42. As shown in FIG. 1 , the firstbattery-mount part 41 is a structure on which, e.g., an 18-V battery ora 14.4-V battery (below, called a first battery B1) used by a power toolcan be mounted.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the first battery-mount part 41 comprises a pair offront and right guide rails 41 r, which extend in the up-down direction.A positive terminal 41 p and a negative terminal 41 n are providedbetween the guide rails 41 r. In addition, a pair of rail-receivingparts (not shown), which are capable of engaging with the pair of guiderails 41 r of the first battery-mount part 41, is provided on the firstbattery B1. A positive terminal p and a negative terminal n are providedbetween the rail-receiving parts of the first battery B1. Therefore, bymating, from above, the pair of rail-receiving parts of the firstbattery B1 with the pair of guide rails 41 r of the first battery-mountpart 41 and sliding the first battery B1 downward, the first battery B1can be mounted on the first battery-mount part 41. Furthermore, as shownin FIG. 16 , when the first battery B1 is mounted on the firstbattery-mount part 41, the positive terminal p and the negative terminaln of the first battery B1 are respectively connected to the positiveterminal 41 p and the negative terminal 41 n of the first battery-mountpart 41. In this mounted state, it becomes possible to supply electricpower from the first battery B1 to the heater(s) 54 of the water-heatingelement 50, etc., by using (via) the electrical circuit 60.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the second battery-mount part 42 is a structure onwhich, e.g., a 10.8-V battery (hereinbelow, called the second batteryB2) used by a power tool can be mounted. As shown in FIG. 10 , thesecond battery-mount part 42 comprises a pair of front and rear guiderails 42 r extending in the up-down direction. A positive terminal 42 pand a negative terminal 42 n are provided between the pair of guiderails 42 r. In addition, a pair of rail-receiving parts (not shown),which is capable of engaging with the pair of guide rails 42 r of thesecond battery-mount part 42, is provided on the second battery B2. Apositive terminal p and a negative terminal n are provided between thepair of rail-receiving parts of the second battery B2. Therefore, byengaging, from above, the pair of rail-receiving parts of the secondbattery B2 with the pair of guide rails 42 r of the second battery-mountpart 42 and sliding the second battery B2 downward, the second batteryB2 can be mounted on the second battery-mount part 42.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17 , when the second battery B2 is mountedon the second battery-mount part 42, the positive terminal p and thenegative terminal n of the second battery B2 are respectively connectedto the positive terminal 42 p and the negative terminal 42 n of thesecond battery-mount part 42. In this mounted state, it becomes possibleto supply electric power from the second battery B2 to the heater(s) 54of the water-heating element 50, etc., by using (via) the electricalcircuit 60. In this embodiment, the spacing between the guide rails 42 rof the second battery-mount part 42 is set such that it is smaller thanthe gap between the guide rails 41 r of the first battery-mount part 41.Consequently, it is not possible to mount the first battery B1 on thesecond battery-mount part 42, and it is also not possible to mount thesecond battery B2 on the first battery-mount part 41.

Furthermore, the battery-mount parts 41, 42 are also preferably spacedor arranged such that it is not physically possible to simultaneouslymount the first battery B1 and the second battery B2 on the firstbattery-mount part 41 and the second battery-mount part 42 owing tospatial hindrance. That is, the spacing between the rear-side guide rail41 r of the first battery-mount part 41 and the front-side guide rail 42r of the second battery-mount part 42 is set to a dimension such thatthe first battery B1 and the second battery B2 would spatially interferewith one another. Consequently, if, for example, the second battery B2is slid downward with respect to the second battery-mount part 42 whilethe first battery B1 is already mounted on the first battery-mount part41, then the second battery B2 makes contact with the first battery B1and thereby is prevented from being slid further downward to its mountedstate. Similarly, if the first battery B1 is slid downward with respectto the first battery-mount part 41 while the second battery B2 isalready mounted on the second battery-mount part 42, then likewise thefirst battery B1 is prevented from being slid further downward to itsmounted state.

The cover member 45 may be a generally plate-shaped member that isconfigured to cover the first battery-mount part 41 or the secondbattery-mount part 42 and is provided on the battery-mount part 40 suchthat it is capable of being slid in the front-rear direction. That is,guide grooves 40 g extending in the front-rear direction are formedabove and below the battery-mount part 40, and sliders (not shown),which are formed above and below a rear side of the cover member 45, arecoupled to the guide grooves 40 g such that the sliders are slidablewith respect to the guide grooves 40 g. In addition, recessed handles 45e (refer to FIG. 1 ), which can be hooked by the user's fingers, areformed in the front side and the rear side of the surface of the covermember 45 to facilitate the manual movement of the cover member 45.Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , by sliding the cover member 45 to itsrearmost position, the second battery-mount part 42 is covered and thefirst battery-mount part 41 is exposed, and thereby it becomes possibleto mount the first battery B1 on the first battery-mount part 41. Inaddition, as shown in FIG. 10 , by sliding the cover member 45 to itsfrontmost position, the first battery-mount part 41 is covered and thesecond battery-mount part 42 is exposed, and thereby it becomes possibleto mount the second battery B2 on the second battery-mount part 42. Acover-operation switch 64 (refer to FIGS. 16 17), which operates inconjunction with the front-rear sliding operation of the cover member45, is provided on the battery-mount part 40.

Water-Heating Element 50 of the Coffeemaker-Main-Body 20

The water-heating element 50 is a device that heats/boils the watersupplied from the water reservoir 22 w of the housing 22 and suppliesthat heated/boiled water to the interior of the drip case 21. As shownin FIG. 11 , the water-heating element 50 comprises a hot water supply50 y and at least one heater 54. The hot water supply 50 y comprises: apipe 52, which is connected to the water reservoir 22 w, a check valve(one-way valve) 53, which prevents the water inside the pipe 52 fromflowing in reverse towards the water reservoir 22 w, and a hot watersupply nozzle (“shower head”, water distribution disk, etc.) 57, whichis connected to a tip part 52 u of the pipe 52. Furthermore, as shown inFIG. 11 and FIG. 12 , a pair of the heaters 54 is mounted, such thatthey are arranged along a substantially U-shaped curved portion of thepipe 52 of the hot water supply 50 y. The heaters 54 may be, e.g.,resistive heating elements, such as a wire or other conductive materialthat heats up when a current is supplied to it. The check valve 53 formsa part of a passageway or conduit from the water reservoir 22 w to thewater-heating element 50.

As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 15 , the water reservoir 22 w of thehousing 22 comprises an upward-opening-type container (reservoir tank)220. In addition, a valve housing 221 protrudes (extends) downward andis provided at the location of a bottom plate of the container 220.Furthermore, the check valve 53 of the hot water supply 50 y is housedinside the valve housing 221 of the container 220 of the water reservoir22 w. A base end 52 m of the pipe 52 of the hot water supply 50 y isconnected to the valve housing 221.

Inside the housing 22, as shown in FIG. 13 , a water reservoir space W,which houses the container 220 of the water reservoir 22 w, and awater-heating space Y, which houses the water-heating element 50, arepartitioned by an up/down-partition wall 210, i.e. by a horizontallyextending wall 210. Furthermore, the valve housing 221 of the container220 of the water reservoir 22 w passes through the up/down-partitionwall 210 and protrudes into the water-heating space Y. As shown in FIG.15 , the pipe 52 of the hot water supply 50 y is bent into a U-shape andis disposed in the interior of the water-heating space Y. Furthermore,as described above, because the pair of heaters 54 is arranged along theU-shaped curved portion of the pipe 52, it becomes possible to boil thewater held in the U-shaped curved portion using the heaters 54. A tipside of the U-shaped curved portion of the pipe 52 extends upward and isled into the drip-case-holder 22 f of the housing 22.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the hot water supply nozzle 57 of the hot watersupply 50 y, which discharges the hot water into the drip case 21 fromabove, is installed in the drip-case-holder 22 f of the housing 22.Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14 , the tip part 52 u of the pipe 52 ofthe hot water supply 50 y is connected to an upper end of an uprightpipe 57 p of the hot water supply nozzle 57. In this embodiment, anozzle-housing space N of the drip-case-holder 22 f, in which the hotwater supply nozzle 57 of the hot water supply 50 y is housed, ispartitioned from the water reservoir space W and the water-heating spaceY by a longitudinal wall 212, as shown in FIG. 13 , etc. Therefore, nowater or hot water can enter the water-heating space Y, in which theheaters 54 are housed.

According to the above-described configuration, when the pipe 52 isheated by the heaters 54 and the substantially U-shaped curved portionof the pipe 52 is filled with water, some of the water inside the pipe52 vaporizes, and thereby the pressure inside the pipe 52 rises. At thistime, because the check valve 53 of the hot water supply 50 y is closedand thereby water is prevented from flowing in reverse towards the waterreservoir 22 w, high temperature hot water transits the pipe 52 of thehot water supply 50 y and is forced out from the hot water supply nozzle57 into the nozzle-housing space N. Therefore, hot water from the hotwater supply nozzle 57 is discharged, from above, to the coffee pod CPinside the drip case 21. Furthermore, when the pressure inside the pipe52 drops owing to hot water being forced out from the hot water supplynozzle 57, water from the water reservoir 22 w is supplied into the pipe52 via the check valve 53. By repeatedly performing this operation, hightemperature hot water is supplied into the drip case 21 automatically.That is, the heaters 54 correspond to a heat-generating means of thepresent teachings.

Electrical Circuit 60 of the Coffeemaker-Main-Body 20

The electrical circuit 60 supplies electric power from the first batteryB1, which is mounted on the first battery-mount part 41, or from thesecond battery B2, which is mounted on the second battery-mount part 42,to the heater(s) 54 of the water-heating element 50.

As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 , the electrical circuit 60 comprises: afirst power-supply positive line 61, which connects the positiveterminal 41 p of the first battery-mount part 41 and the heater(s) 54 (+side) of the water-heating element 50, and a second power-supplypositive line 62, which connects the positive terminal 42 p of thesecond battery-mount part 42 and the heater(s) 54 (+ side). In addition,the electrical circuit 60 comprises a power-supply negative line 63,which connects the negative terminals 41 n, 42 n of the first and secondbattery-mount parts 41, 42 and the heater(s) 54 (− side). That is, thefirst power-supply positive line 61 and the second power-supply positiveline 62 correspond to a power-supply line of the present teachings, andthe positive terminal 41 p of the first battery-mount part 41 and thepositive terminal 42 p of the second battery-mount part 42 correspond topower-supply terminals of a battery-mount part of the present teachings.

Furthermore, a short-circuit-preventing fuse Hs is provided in each ofthe first and second power-supply positive lines 61, 62. As shown inFIG. 16 , if, for example, the positive terminal 42 p and the negativeterminal 42 n of the second battery-mount part 42 mistakenly shortcircuit when the first battery B1 of the first battery-mount part 41 ismounted, then the short-circuit-preventing fuses Hs cut off theshort-circuit current.

The cover-operation switch 64, which operates in conjunction(accordance) with the front-rear sliding operation of the cover member45, is provided in series with the first power-supply positive line 61and the second power-supply positive line 62 of the electrical circuit60. That is, as shown in FIG. 16 , when the cover member 45 is coveringthe second battery-mount part 42, the cover-operation switch 64disconnects the second power-supply positive line 62 between the secondbattery-mount part 42 and the heater(s) 54 and connects the firstpower-supply positive line 61 between the first battery-mount part 41and the heater(s) 54. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 17 , when the covermember 45 is covering the first battery-mount part 41, thecover-operation switch 64 disconnects the first power-supply positiveline 61 between the first battery-mount part 41 and the heater(s) 54 andconnects the second power-supply positive line 62 between the secondbattery-mount part 42 and the heater(s) 54. It is noted that thecover-operation switch 64 is configured such that, if the cover member45 is removed from the battery-mount part 40, then the firstpower-supply positive line 61 and the second power-supply positive line62 are disconnected, thereby preventing further usage of the coffeemaker10. This disconnection function is represented by the arrow extendingfrom the cover-operation switch 64 to the controller 70 in FIGS. 16 and17 .

As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 , a switching device (FET) 65 for PWMcontrol of the electric power supplied to the heaters 54 is provided inthe power-supply negative line 63 of the electrical circuit 60. Inaddition, heater fuse(s) Ht, which melt(s) if the temperature of theheater(s) 54 rise(s) excessively, is (are) provided on the heater(s) 54.Furthermore, a temperature sensor 66 (e.g., a thermistor), which detectsthe temperature of the pipe 52, is provided on the pipe 52 of thewater-heating element 50.

The electrical circuit 60 comprises a controller 70, which controls theheater(s) 54 of the water-heating element 50 by operating the switchingdevice (FET) 65 according to PWM (pulse width modulation) control. Asignal of a start/stop switch 72 for turning the heater(s) 54 of thewater-heating element 50 ON and OFF is input to the controller 70. Here,as shown in FIG. 1 , etc., the start/stop switch 72 is mounted on afront surface of the plate 30. It is noted that the “Energized” lamp isturned ON during operation of the heater(s) 54. In addition, a signal ofthe temperature sensor 66 is input to the controller 70. Furthermore, abattery-identification signal from a battery identifying circuit 74 isinput to the controller 70. The battery identifying circuit 74identifies the type of battery based on data sent from the battery B1,which is mounted on the first battery-mount part 41, or from the batteryB2, which is mounted on the second battery-mount part 42. In addition,the battery type may be identified by ascertaining on whichbattery-mount part the battery is mounted, i.e., whether a battery isphysically mounted on the first battery-mount part 41 or on the secondbattery-mount part 42, e.g., using a pressure switch or an electricalcontact switch.

In addition, a constant voltage is supplied from a control-power-supply75 to the controller 70. That is, the control-power-supply 75 isconfigured such that the constant voltage can be supplied to thecontroller 70 by stepping up or stepping down the voltage supplied fromthe battery B1 (14.4 V or 18 V) or the battery B2 (10.8 V).

Operation of the Coffeemaker 10

When the coffeemaker 10 is to be utilized with, for example, the firstpower tool battery B1 (18 V), then, as shown in FIG. 1 , the covermember 45 is slid to its rearmost position to cover the secondbattery-mount part 42, and the first battery B1 is mounted on the firstbattery-mount part 41, which is exposed. At this time, thecover-operation switch 64 operates in conjunction with the slideoperation of the cover member 45 and, as shown in FIG. 16 , the secondpower-supply positive line 62 is disconnected and the first power-supplypositive line 61 enters a conducting state. Next, the lid 23 on theupper surface of the housing 22 is pivoted upward such that, as shown inFIG. 2 , the opening of the water reservoir 22 w is held open while thelid 23 is in its raised position. Furthermore, in this state, water ispoured into the water reservoir 22 w. At this time, even if some of thewater splashes, the splashed water is blocked by the lid 23 and tendsnot to spray in the direction of the first battery B1. Then, when thepouring of the water has been completed, coffee grounds have been placedin the drip case 21, and the decanter 35 has been set on the plate 30,the start/stop switch 72 is operated, e.g., manually depressed.

When the start/stop switch 72 is operated, the controller 70 operatesthe switching device (FET) 65 in accordance with the battery type(voltage) and thereby adjusts the electric power supplied to theheater(s) 54. For example, when the first battery B1 (18 V) is mounted,the energized time during PWM control is shorter compared with of theenergized time when the second battery B2 (10.8 V) is mounted. In thealternative, the energized time during PWM control may be keep the same,such that the water will heat up faster when the first battery B1 ismounted than when the second battery B2 is mounted. Furthermore, thepipe 52 of the water-heating element 50 is heated by the heater(s) 54,and the high temperature hot water inside the pipe 52 is supplied to thecoffee pod CP of the drip case 21. Thereafter, the brewed coffee flowsdownwardly through the extraction part 21 p of the drip case 21 (thecase-main-body 21 m) and collects in the decanter 35 on the plate 30.Thereafter, when the amount of water inside the pipe 52 of thewater-heating element 50 decreases and the temperature of the pipe 52rises, the controller 70, which receives the signal of the temperaturesensor 66, turns the switching device (FET) 65 OFF, and stops energizingthe heater(s) 54.

If the second battery B2 (10.8 V) is used, then, as shown in FIG. 9 andFIG. 10 , the cover member 45 is slid to its frontmost position to coverthe first battery-mount part 41, and the second battery B2 is mounted onthe second battery-mount part 42, which is exposed. Furthermore, bysliding the cover member 45 to the front-end position, thecover-operation switch 64 disconnects the first power-supply positiveline 61 and connects the second power-supply positive line 62, as shownin FIG. 17 . Then, similar to the above-described procedure, coffee isbrewed by operating the coffeemaker 10.

Features of the Coffeemaker 10 According to the Present Embodiment

According to the coffeemaker 10 of the present (first) embodiment, thecoffeemaker 10 (the electrical device) can be operated, e.g., at aconstruction work site, etc., using the batteries B1, B2 of a powertool. The coffeemaker 10 comprises the drip case 21 (the case) thatholds, e.g., a coffee pod CP (the pod) containing a predetermined amountof coffee grounds held in a permeable bag-shaped element. Furthermore,the extraction part 21 p, which allows the coffee produced by the hotwater discharged into (onto) the coffee pod CP to downwardly flow, isprovided in (on) the drip case 21. Thus, because a coffee pod CP can beused, it becomes unnecessary to, for example, use a measuring spoon orthe like to take coffee grounds out of a coffee-ground bag and placethem in a filter. That is, because coffee can be brewed merely bysetting the coffee pod CP in the drip case 21 and operating thecoffeemaker 10, coffee can be easily made at a construction work site.However, as was discussed above in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8 , thecoffeemaker 10 also may be advantageously utilized with loose coffeegrounds, loose tea leaves, etc., in other embodiments of the presentteachings, e.g., by providing a mesh filter F or paper filter in thedrip case 21.

In addition or in the alternative, if the water reservoir 22 w and thedrip case 21 (the case) of the coffeemaker 10 are disposed such thatthey are side-by-side at substantially the same height, when the hotwater supply 50 y supplies the hot water boiled by the heater(s) 54 (theheat-generating means) to the drip case 21 from above, a water-supplyingmeans, such as a pump, is unnecessary. In addition or in thealternative, if the battery-mount parts 41, 42 are provided at locationslower than those of the water reservoir 22 w and the drip case 21, whenwater is being boiled, the batteries B1, B2, which are heavy, aredisposed at low locations, which improves the stability of thecoffeemaker 10. In addition or in the alternative, if the waterreservoir space W and the water-heating space Y, in which the heaters 54are housed, are partitioned by the up/down-partition wall 210, water isprevented from entering the space Y in which the heaters 54 are housed.In addition or in the alternative, if the nozzle-housing space N, inwhich the hot water supply nozzle 57 of the hot water supply 50 y ishoused, and the water-heating space Y, in which the heaters 54 arehoused, are partitioned by the longitudinal wall(s) 212, hot water isprevented from entering the water-heating space Y.

According to the coffeemaker 10 of the present first embodiment, whenone of the batteries B1, B2 is mounted on its correspondingbattery-mount part 41 or 42, it becomes impossible to mount the otherbattery B1 or B2 on the other battery-mount part 41 or 42. Consequently,even though two types of the battery-mount parts 41, 42 are provided,only one of the batteries B1, B2 can be mounted on the battery-mountparts 41, 42. That is, two batteries are never mounted on thebattery-mount parts 41, 42 simultaneously (at the same time). As aresult, a battery-switching circuit, an interlock circuit, etc., are notnecessary, the circuit configuration is simplified, and electricalreliability is improved.

In addition or in the alternative, when one of the batteries B1, B2 ismounted on the sole exposed battery-mount part 41 or 42, the otherbattery-mount part 41 or 42 is necessarily covered by the cover member45. That is, when one of the batteries B1, B2 is mounted on one of thebattery-mount parts 41, 42, the positive and negative terminals(charging part) of the other battery-mount part 41 or 42 are notexposed, and consequently a short-circuit fault can be prevented. Inaddition, when one of the batteries B1, B2 is mounted on one of thebattery-mount parts 41, 42, if the other battery B1 or B2 is moved inthe mounting direction (the downward direction) with respect to theother battery-mount part 41 or 42, then that other battery B1 or B2makes contact with the battery B1 or B2 mounted on the one battery-mountpart 41 or 42, thereby blocking further downward sliding movement ofthat other battery B1 or B2. Consequently, even in a hypotheticalsituation in which the cover member 45 has been removed, a plurality ofthe batteries B1, B2 can not be mounted on the plurality of thebattery-mount parts 41, 42 at the same time.

In addition or in the alternative, the lid 23 of the water reservoir 22w is located on an upper side of the right-side surface of the housing22 on which the battery-mount parts 41, 42 are provided, and isconfigured such that it stands up like a wall along the end edge of theupper surface of that housing, such that the opening of the waterreservoir 22 w is uncovered (opened). Consequently, when the water isbeing supplied (poured) into the water reservoir 22 w of the housing 22,any water that splashes is blocked by the lid 23, which stands up alongthe right-side surface of the housing 22, such that the splashed waterdoes not splash onto the battery-mount parts 41, 42.

Modified Examples (Second to Fifth Embodiments)

It is noted that the present teachings are not limited to theabove-described embodiments, and it is understood that variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the present teachings. For example, in the coffeemaker 10 ofthe first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 13 , an example isdescribed in which the water reservoir 22 w and the drip case 21 (thecase) are disposed such that they are side-by-side at substantially thesame height, and the battery-mount parts 41, 42 are provided at alocation lower than that height. However, as shown in FIG. 20 , it isalso possible to provide the battery-mount parts 41, 42 at a locationhigher than those of the water reservoir 22 w and the drip case 21 (thecase). In addition, as shown in FIG. 21 , it is also possible to providethe water reservoir 22 w at a location lower than that of the heater(s)54 of the water-heating element 50 and to provide the battery-mountparts 41, 42 at a location higher than that of the water reservoir 22 w.In this embodiment, a pump 59 or the like, which pumps the water upward,is used. Thus, by disposing the battery-mount parts 41, 42 at a locationhigher than that of the water reservoir 22 w, when the water is beingsupplied (poured) to the water reservoir 22 w, it is less likely thatthe water will splash onto the battery-mount parts 41, 42.

In addition, in the coffeemaker 10 of the above-described firstembodiment, an example was described in which, as shown in theelectrical circuit 60 in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 , the heater(s) 54 is (are)commonly used for both the situation in which the first battery B1 (18V) is used (mounted) and the situation in which the second battery B2(10.8 V) is used (mounted). However, as shown in FIG. 18 , aconfiguration is also possible in which a dedicated A-heater 54 a and adedicated FET 65 a are used for the situation in which the first batteryB1 (18 V) is used (mounted), and a dedicated B-heater 54 b and adedicated FET 65 b are used for the situation in which the secondbattery B2 (10.8 V) is used (mounted). Dedicated temperature sensors 66a (e.g., thermistors) are respectively provided on or near the heaters54 a, 54 b and respective dedicated power-supply negative lines 63 a, 63b are provided for the two heaters 54 a, 54 b. In addition, as shown inFIG. 19 , a configuration is also possible in which the A-heater 54 a,the B-heater 54 b, the FET 65 a, and the FET 65 b are used for thesituation in which the first battery B1 (18 V) is used (mounted), andthe B-heater 54 b and the FET 65 b are used for the case in which thesecond battery B2 (10.8 V) is used (mounted).

In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, although anexample was described in which a contact-type switch is used as thecover-operation switch 64 that operates in conjunction with thefront-rear sliding operation of the cover member 45, it is also possibleto use a semiconductor-type switch. In addition, in the above-describedfirst embodiment, an example was described in which the coffeemaker 10comprises the first battery-mount part 41 and the second battery-mountpart 42, the sizes of which differ and correspond to the first batteryB1 and the second battery B2. However, it is also possible, for example,to make the first battery-mount part 41 and the second battery-mountpart 42 of identical sizes, corresponding to the first battery B1 (18 V,14.4 V). In addition, in the coffeemaker 10 according to theabove-described first embodiment, although a warming function of theplate 30 on which the decanter 35 is placed was not considered, it isalso possible to provide the plate 30 with a warming function. In suchan embodiment, in the electrical circuits 60 shown in FIG. 16 , etc., awarming heater for the plate 30 may be provided in parallel with theheater(s) 54 of the water-heating element 50 and the switching device65. In the alternative, the heater(s) 54 may be disposed between thepipe 52 and the plate 30 so that the same heater(s) 54 heat(s) both thepipe 52 and the plate 30.

In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, an example wasdescribed in which, if the case-main-body 21 m of the drip case 21 isdesigned for use with the coffee pod CP shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 ,then a second drip case 21 designed for use with coffee grounds, inwhich the mesh filter F shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is used, may beprovided separately. However, as shown in FIG. 22 to FIG. 25 , it isalso possible to make the case-main-body 21 m multi-usable with thecoffee pod CP and also with loose coffee grounds in which the meshfilter F is used. In addition, in the above-described first embodiment,although an example was described in which the coffeemaker 10 serves asthe electrical device, it is also possible to adapt the presentteachings to a tea maker and the like, in which a tea-leaf pod, loosetea leaves, etc. is used.

Depending on design requirements, exemplary embodiments of thecontroller 70 of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardwareand/or in software. The controller 70 can be configured using a digitalstorage medium, for example one or more of a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, anEEPROM, a flash memory, etc., on which electronically readable controlsignals (program code—instructions) are stored, which interact or caninteract with one or more programmable hardware components to executeprogrammed functions.

The (each) programmable hardware component can be constituted by aprocessor, which may comprise a computer processor (CPU=centralprocessing unit), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), anintegrated circuit (IC), a computer, a system-on-a-chip (SOC), aprogrammable logic element, and/or a field programmable gate array(FGPA). A microprocessor is a typical component of a controller 70 orprocessor according to the present teachings.

The digital storage medium can therefore be machine- or computerreadable. Some exemplary embodiments thus comprise a data carrier ornon-transient computer readable medium which includes electronicallyreadable control signals which are capable of interacting with aprogrammable computer system or a programmable hardware component suchthat one of the methods or functions described herein is performed. Anexemplary embodiment is thus a data carrier (or a digital storage mediumor a non-transient computer-readable medium) on which the program forperforming one of the methods described herein is recorded.

In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, inparticular the controller 70 or processor, are implemented as a program,firmware, computer program, or computer program product including aprogram, or as data, wherein the program code or the data is operativeto perform one of the methods when the program runs on (is executed by)a processor or a programmable hardware component. The program code orthe data can for example also be stored on a machine-readable carrier ordata carrier, such as any of the types of digital storage mediadescribed above. The program code or the data can be, among otherthings, source code, machine code, bytecode or another intermediatecode.

A program according to an exemplary embodiment can implement one of themethods or function during its performance, for example, such that theprogram reads storage locations and/or writes one or more data elementsinto these storage locations, wherein switching operations or otheroperations are induced in transistor structures, in amplifierstructures, or in other electrical, electronic, optical, magneticcomponents, or components based on another functional or physicalprinciple. Correspondingly, data, values, sensor values, or otherprogram information can be captured, determined, or measured by readinga storage location. By reading one or more storage locations, a programcan therefore capture, determine or measure sizes, values, variables,and other information, as well as cause, induce, or perform an action bywriting in one or more storage locations, as well as control otherapparatuses, machines, and components, and thus for example also performany complex process that the air compressor may be designed to perform.

Although some aspects of the present teachings have been described inthe context of a device or apparatus, it is to be understood that theseaspects also represent a description of a corresponding method, so thata block or a component of a device or apparatus is also understood as acorresponding method step or as a feature of a method step. In ananalogous manner, aspects which have been described in the context of oras a method step also represent a description of a corresponding blockor detail or feature of a corresponding device.

Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention weredescribed above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Thisdetailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill inthe art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the presentteachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosedabove may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other featuresand teachings to provide improved electrical devices, such as hotbeverage making devices.

Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the abovedetailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention inthe broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularlydescribe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, variousfeatures of the above-described representative examples, as well as thevarious independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in waysthat are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provideadditional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intendedto be disclosed separately and independently from each other for thepurpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose ofrestricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositionsof the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, allvalue ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended todisclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity forthe purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purposeof restricting the claimed subject matter.

Additional embodiment of the present teachings include, but are notlimited to:

1. An electrical device comprising:

a housing;

two battery-mount parts disposed on the housing and configured to mounttwo batteries designed for use as a power supply of a power toolthereon;

a heat-generating means for boiling water by using electric powersupplied by the battery mounted on the battery-mount part, theheat-generating means being disposed within the housing;

a drip case mountable in the housing and having a drain hole configuredto allow a hot beverage to flow downwardly out of the drip case; and

a hot water supply configured to automatically supply water boiled bythe heat-generating means into an interior portion of the drip case;

wherein the two battery-mount parts are configured such that, when onebattery is mounted on one of the battery-mount parts, another battery isprevented from being mounted on the other battery-mount part.

2. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment 1,wherein the two battery-mount parts have different sizes and areconfigured to respectively mount batteries having sizes corresponding tothe battery-mount parts.

3. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment 2,wherein:

each of the two battery-mount parts comprises a pair of guide rails anda plurality of terminals; and

the two battery-mount parts differ in the arrangement of the guide railsand/or in the arrangement of the plurality of terminals such that thebatteries, which are capable of engaging with and sliding with respectto the pair of guide rails and are capable of electrically connecting tothe terminals, are mountable on the respective battery-mount parts.

4. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment1-3, further comprising:

a cover member movably coupled to the two battery-mount parts andconfigured to expose one of the battery-mount parts while covering theother battery-mount part.

5. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment 4,wherein:

the two battery-mount parts are disposed on the housing in aside-by-side arrangement; and

the cover member is configured such that it is slidable in theside-by-side direction of the two battery-mount parts to expose one ofthe battery-mount parts while covering the other battery-mount part.

6. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiments1-5, wherein the two battery-mount parts are configured such that, whenone battery is mounted on one of the battery-mount parts, anotherbattery is physically blocked by the mounted battery from moving in amounting direction with respect to the other battery-mount part.

7. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiments1-6, wherein:

the two battery-mount parts are provided on one side surface of thehousing;

a lid is provided on an upper surface of the housing and is configuredto close and open an opening of a water reservoir within the housing;and

the lid is located on an upper side of the one side surface of thehousing on which the battery-mount parts are provided, and is configuredsuch that the lid stands up like a wall along an end edge of the uppersurface of the housing when the opening of the water reservoir isopened.

8. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment 7,wherein the lid is coupled by a hinge to the housing such that the lidis pivotable about the end edge of the upper surface of the housing.

9. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiments4-8, further comprising:

a cover-operation switch configured to be operated in conjunction withmovement of the cover member;

wherein the cover-operation switch is configured to disconnect apower-supply line between a power-supply terminal of the battery-mountpart currently covered by the cover member and the heat-generatingmeans, and to connect a power-supply line between a power-supplyterminal of the currently exposed battery-mount part and theheat-generating means.

10. The electrical device according to the above-described embodiment 9,wherein the cover-operation switch is configured such that removal ofthe cover member from the battery-mount parts causes the power-supplyline between the power-supply terminals of all the battery-mount partsand the heat-generating means to be disconnected.

EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   10 Coffeemaker (electrical device)-   22 Housing-   210 Up/down-partition wall-   212 Longitudinal wall-   21 Drip case (case)-   21 p Extraction part-   22 w Water reservoir-   23 Cover-   24 Hinge mechanism-   40 Battery-mount part-   41 First battery-mount part-   41 p Positive terminal (power-supply terminal)-   42 Second battery-mount part-   42 p Positive terminal (power-supply terminal)-   45 Cover member-   50 Water-heating element-   50 y Hot water supply-   52 Pipe-   53 Check valve-   54 Heater (heat-generating means)-   57 Hot water supply nozzle-   60 Electrical circuit-   61 First power-supply positive line (power-supply line)-   62 Second power-supply positive line (power-supply line)-   63 Power-supply negative line-   64 Cover-operation switch-   66 Temperature sensor-   70 Controller-   72 Start/stop switch-   B1 First battery-   B2 Second battery-   CP Coffee pod (pod)

We claim:
 1. An electrical device comprising: a housing; a plurality ofbattery-mount parts provided externally on the housing and configuredsuch that batteries designed for use as a power supply of a power toolare respectively mountable thereon; and a heat-generating means forboiling water by using electric power supplied by one of the batteriesmounted on one of the battery-mount parts, the heat-generating meansbeing disposed within the housing; wherein the plurality ofbattery-mount parts is configured such that, when the one of thebatteries is mounted on the one of the plurality of battery-mount parts,another one of the batteries, when placed adjacent to the mounted one ofthe batteries, is physically blocked by a cover member slidably mountedon the plurality of battery-mount parts or by the mounted one of thebatteries from moving in a mounting direction with respect to the one ofthe plurality of battery-mount parts having the one of the batteriesmounted thereon.
 2. The electrical device according to claim 1, whereinat least two of the plurality of battery-mount parts have differentsizes and are configured to respectively mount batteries havingdifferent sizes respectively corresponding to the at least two of theplurality of battery-mount parts.
 3. The electrical device according toclaim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of battery-mount parts comprisesa pair of guide rails and a plurality of terminals; at least two of theplurality of battery-mount parts differ in an arrangement of the guiderails and/or in an arrangement of the plurality of terminals such thatthe batteries, which are capable of engaging with and sliding withrespect to the pair of guide rails and are capable of electricallyconnecting to the terminals, are mountable on respective ones of theplurality of battery-mount parts.
 4. The electrical device according toclaim 1, wherein: the plurality of battery-mount parts comprises a firstbattery-mount part and a second battery-mount part that are bothprovided externally on the housing; and the cover member is configuredto expose one of the first or second battery-mount parts while coveringthe other of the first or second battery-mount parts.
 5. The electricaldevice according to claim 4, wherein: the first and secondbattery-mount-parts are provided in a side-by-side arrangement; and thecover member is configured such that the cover member is slidable in theside-by-side direction of the first and second battery-mount parts toexpose one of the first or second battery-mount parts while covering theother of the first or second battery-mount parts.
 6. The electricaldevice according to claim 4, further comprising: a cover-operationswitch configured to be operated in conjunction with movement of thecover member; wherein the cover-operation switch is configured todisconnect a first power-supply line between a first power-supplyterminal of the one of the first and second battery-mount partscurrently covered by the cover member and the heat-generating means, andto connect a second power-supply line between a second power-supplyterminal of the currently exposed one of the first and secondbattery-mount parts and the heat-generating means.
 7. The electricaldevice according to claim 6, wherein the cover-operation switch isconfigured such that removal of the cover member from the first andsecond battery-mount parts causes the first and second power-supplylines to be disconnected.
 8. The electric device according to claim 7,wherein: the first battery-mount part comprises a first pair of guiderails configured for sliding engagement with one of the batteries, thesecond battery-mount part comprises a second pair of guide railsconfigured for sliding engagement with another one of the batteries, andthe first and second pairs of guide rails are spaced apart from eachother in a manner such that simultaneously mounting of two or more ofthe batteries on the plurality of battery-mount parts is prevented. 9.The electrical device according to claim 8, wherein: the first andsecond battery-mount parts are disposed in a side-by-side arrangement;and the first and second pairs of guide rails of the first and secondbattery-mount parts are spaced apart in a manner such that two of thebatteries are prevented from being simultaneously mounted on the firstand second battery-mount parts.
 10. The electrical device according toclaim 1, wherein the plurality of battery-mount parts is configured suchthat, when the one of the batteries is mounted on the one of theplurality of battery-mount parts, another one of the batteries, whenplaced adjacent to the mounted one of the batteries, is physicallyblocked by the mounted one of the batteries from moving in a mountingdirection with respect to the one of the plurality of battery-mountparts having the one of the batteries mounted thereon.
 11. Theelectrical device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality ofbattery-mount parts is provided on a planar side surface of the housing;a lid is provided on an upper surface of the housing and is configuredto close and open an opening of a water reservoir within the housing;and the lid is located on an upper side of the planar side surface ofthe housing on which the plurality of battery-mount parts is provided,and is configured such that the lid stands up like a wall along an endedge of the upper surface of the housing when the opening of the waterreservoir is opened.
 12. The electrical device according to claim 11,wherein the lid is coupled by a hinge to the housing such that the lidis pivotable about the end edge of the upper surface of the housing. 13.The electrical device according to claim 1, further comprising: a dripcase mountable in the housing and configured to hold a pod, whichcontains a predetermined amount of tea leaves or coffee grounds held ina water-permeable bag-shaped element; and a hot water supply configuredto automatically supply water boiled by the heat-generating means to aninterior portion of the drip case so that the boiled water is poured orotherwise dispersed onto the pod, wherein the drip case further includesan extraction part configured to allow a hot beverage produced by thewater that has been poured onto the pod to flow downwardly out of thedrip case.
 14. The electrical device according to claim 1, furthercomprising the batteries.
 15. An electrical device comprising: a housinghaving a water reservoir defined therein; a plurality of battery-mountparts provided externally on a planar side surface of the housing andconfigured such that batteries designed for use as a power supply of apower tool are respectively mountable thereon; a heat-generating meansfor boiling water by using electric power supplied by at least one ofthe batteries mounted on at least one of the battery-mount parts; and alid provided on an upper surface of the housing that adjoins the planarside surface and is at least substantially perpendicular to the planarside surface; wherein the lid is configured to close and open an openingof the water reservoir such that the lid stands up like a wall along anupper end edge of the planar side surface of the housing when theopening of the water reservoir is opened; and the plurality ofbattery-mount parts is disposed below the lid on the planar side surfaceof the housing.
 16. The electrical device according to claim 15, furthercomprising the batteries.
 17. The electrical device according to claim15, wherein: the lid is coupled by a hinge to the housing such that thelid is pivotable about the upper end edge of the planar side surface ofthe housing; and when the opening of the water reservoir is closed, anupper surface of the lid is flush with the upper surface of the housing.18. An electrical device comprising: a housing; a first battery-mountpart externally disposed on the housing and configured such that a firstbattery designed for use as a power supply of a power tool is mountablethereon; a second battery-mount part externally disposed on the housingand configured such that a second battery designed for use as a powersupply of the power tool is mountable thereon; a heat-generating meansfor boiling water by using electric power supplied by the first batterymounted on the first battery-mount part or the second battery mounted onthe second battery-mount part, the heat-generating means being disposedwithin the housing; a first power-supply line electrically connectingfirst power-supply terminals of the first battery-mount part and theheat-generating means; a second power-supply line electricallyconnecting second power-supply terminals of the second battery-mountpart and the heat-generating means; a cover member movably coupled tothe first battery-mount part and the second battery-mount part andconfigured to cover one of the first battery-mount part and the secondbattery-mount part while exposing the other of the first battery-mountpart and second battery-mount part; and a cover-operation switchconfigured to detect movement of the cover member, wherein thecover-operation switch is configured such that removal of the covermember from the first battery-mount part and the second battery-mountpart causes the first and second power-supply lines to be disconnectedfrom the heat-generating means.
 19. The electrical device according toclaim 18, wherein: the cover-operation switch is configured to beoperated in conjunction with the movement of the cover member; and thecover-operation switch is configured to disconnect the power-supply linebetween the power-supply terminals of the one of the first or secondbattery-mount parts that is currently covered by the cover member andthe heat-generating means, and to connect the power-supply line betweenthe power-supply terminals of the other of the first or secondbattery-mount parts that is currently exposed and the heat-generatingmeans.
 20. The electrical device according to claim 18, furthercomprising: a drip case mountable in the housing and configured to holda pod, which contains a predetermined amount of tea leaves or coffeegrounds held in a water-permeable bag-shaped element; and a hot watersupply configured to automatically supply water boiled by theheat-generating means to an interior portion of the drip case so thatthe boiled water is poured or otherwise dispersed onto the pod, whereinthe drip case further includes an extraction part configured to allow ahot beverage produced by the water that has been poured onto the pod toflow downwardly out of the drip case.